SOUTH AFRICA
SOUTH AFRICA
| South Africa is the name of the country at the southern tip of Africa. It is not just a geographical description, it is the name of the country. The country is 1,2 million square kilometres and lies between the Indian Ocean and the Atlantic Ocean. We have 3500 kilometres of shoreline. We have over 60 mineable minerals including gold, diamonds, platinum, chromium and nickel, as well as oil and natural gas along the southern coastline. There are also fossils in the Karoo which are apparently 50 million years old. Our national road network covers 240 000 kilometres of which 100 000 is tarred. Apparently we also have about 20 airlines (I was shocked at this one - I knew of SAA, Comair/British Airways, and a couple of others). The population of South Africa is 40 million. The population of Johannesburg is 6 million. We have eleven official languages here. English, Afrikaans, Zulu, Xhosa, Sotho and obviously 6 others!!! |
 |
| Apparently the Portuguese used to pop in here in the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries. The Dutch landed in Table Bay in 1652 to establish a halfway station en route to the East. During the next century, the British occupied the Cape. And then of course the 1820 Settlers arrived. Then the elections in 1994 saw Nelson Mandela elected as our President. Wonderful man! We now have Thabo Mbeki as our President. That's the end of my history lesson (and knowledge). |
 |
| This is my home town. Actually its a city. It is the biggest city in Africa south of Cairo. The population of Johannesburg is over 6 million! The centre of town is Hillbrow, Berea and Yeoville. This is the seedy area of town. The more affluent residential areas spread northwards. (How about that - I live in the north ...) We have beautiful shopping malls. My personal favourites are Sandton City and Cresta Shopping Centre. |
 |
| South Africa is renown for the Big Five: Elephant, Lion, Leopard, Rhino and Buffalo. We have various game parks: Close to Johannesburg are the Pilanesberg mountains. Easily accessible within a two hour drive. Further away is the Kruger National Park. This is Africa's oldest and one of the world's most famous wildlife sanctuaries. Kruger is a model of ecological tourism: It is internationally acclaimed for its model management which successfully used tourism to fund conservation. It spans almost two million hectares!!!!! 7600 elephant 2000 lion 1000 leopard 1800 white rhino 21 800 buffalo. Awesome! Of course, I have spent quite a bit of time at Sun City which is in the Pilanesberg Mountains. It is absolutely beautiful. But now that I think of it, the casino owes me some money!!!!! |
 SUN CITY |
| KwaZulu-Natal has 32 game parks!!! The first land was set aside in 1895 - three years before the Sabie Reserve which later became Kruger National Park. I have actually been to the Hluhluwe-Umfolozi Park. We stayed in tree-houses! Really cool and amazingly relaxing. A real time-out place! A lot of them are run by the Natal Parks Board. |
 It is a typical kraal hut. |
| Well I can tell you a bit about Durban because I lived there for almost 20 years. Durban has the "Golden Mile" which is a six kilometre strip of beaches on the Indian Ocean. The beachfront is great although its too overcrowded during holidays. I wouldn't recommend Christmas or Easter as the time to visit. There are rickshaws which is something that every tourist has to experience! There is Seaworld which is an aquarium and dolphinarium, complete with dolphins and seals and shows every day. Mini-town is cute and should also be on your itinerary as well as the Fitsimons Snake Park has snakes and crocodiles. Durban has a huge Indian population. I always realise I'm back in Durban when I smell the curry powder! They have a large Indian market. Everything and anything is available, but DON'T FORGET TO BARGAIN WITH THEM!!! The Durban harbour is one of Africa's largest cargo ports. |
 when I lived at Garvies Beach south of Durban. I must have just come home - I don't wake up before the sun!!! |
| I've only been to Port Elizabeth (the friendly city) and East London (the windy city). On the east coast is Grahamstown (where my sister went to University). Every year there is the Grahamstown Arts Festival. Unfortunately I haven't been to that either!!! We also went to the game park close to East London. Elephants walked right in front of the car and no, I didn't have my camera with me!!! |
| The Garden Route runs from Storms River to Mossel Bay. Its best explored by road or on foot (which is why I've definitely never done it!!!) The Otter Trail is a famous 48 kilometre hike that takes 5 days. Only to be attempted by very fit, seasoned hikers but apparently the view at the end is awesome! Plettenberg Bay is here too (the "Bay of Content"). It is a surfer's paradise and a popular tourist venue. Also along the Garden Route is Oudtshoorn - home of Ostriches. You might even get to ride one and take part in the ostrich races! 20 km outside Oudtshoorn are the Cango Caves. I have been there but many, many years ago. Spectacularly beautiful!!! I just had to pinch this picture! |
 The Cango Caves |
| I haven't done the West Coast at all. It is well known for the beautiful Namaqualand flowers which are prolific in August and September and apparently well worth a visit. It's also known as the "crayfish route" in towns like Langebaan, Saldanha Bay and Lambert's Bay. |
| Well obviously I have been here! I've been up Table Mountain (though not in the new cable car) and you do have to queue for ages but its worth it! Then there's the wine route. My friend Aletta and I did this. We had her daughter's boyfriend as our chauffeur!!! It was necessary! There are various wine routes. Along the Stellenbosch route, is a quaint old store called Oom Samie Se Winkel. You just have to buy something! Lots of jams and pottery and other home-made goods! Hermanus is an easy drive from Cape Town. We spotted whales there. (That's what you do in Hermanus ...) |
 |